Return of the Past
by PedePaulie
Summary: Sadiku is Kiara's son and the future king of the Pridelands. Life is great until a young female cub shows up, telling tales of disaster in her own pride. Vitani has not been feeling like she fits in, and when she is put in charge of the cub, she decides to investigate. She and Sadiku start on a journey that will change both of their lives.
1. Prologue

**A/N: **This is as canon as possible while integrating an AU. It is a combination of TLK II and the story of Kopa.

**Prologue**

Zira was stalking through the Pridelands alone again. She never bothered much to join a formal hunting party, for she could not stand most of the other lionesses. She knew there were several who were close to her and would remain loyal to her, which was her main advantage. She could not do anything yet, though. She needed an heir. _Scar_ needed an heir.

The only cub they were able to have together, young Nuka, was too small and weak. Besides, he did not have the correct temperament for a king; someone else would have to do. Unfortunately, Scar was murdered before they could try again.

Zira had been on the search for rogues ever since. She had managed to convince one to mate with her, but, unfortunately, she had produced a female, little Vitani. Now, Vitani did have great e leadership potential, and if she had been born a princess, she would have made a fine queen someday. However, as a female, it was highly unlikely should would ever require enough strength to take on Simba and win.

Vitani was now six months old, and Zira had recovered enough to start her search anew. She had now reached the edge of the territory. This was where most visitors were met, though she was not sure what lay beyond.

Then she heard a distinct "mew." Her ears pricked, she silently stalked towards the bush where the noise had originated. Peering carefully over the leaves, she was surprised to find a tiny brown cub staring up at her with green eyes.

Zira lifted her head and looked around, wondering where the cub's parents were. She sniffed the air, but they seemed to be alone.

What happened next was even stranger. She distinctly heard a voice inside her head, _Scar's_ voice, say: "this one."

Zira blinked several times. Was she imagining it? The voice continued: "this is my heir. Take him in for me. He shall be king."

Now Zira knew she _had_ heard something. The message was clear; she had to adopt this cub.

She slinked forward until she was behind the bush with the tiny lion. The cub let out a whimper. "What is your name?" Zira asked gently.

"K-Kovu," the cub said in a small voice.

"Where is your mother?"

"G-Gone." The cub let out a shudder.

"It's alright," Zira said soothingly as she pulled Kovu towards her body. "I will take care of you. You will not be alone any longer." She paused. "And one day, you will be _king_." And all would be right with the world once again.

"This is the day," a voice hissed. "You know what to do."

Vitani stared up at her mother without moving. She did not like the plan; she did not like her part in it. But Zira was her mother, and she had to obey her orders, didn't she? "He won't be hurt, will he?"

Zira's lips curled into a wicked smile. "No, dear. We just need to… _drive_ him off. If he comes back, it will be too late. Kovu will take care of him. Let's hope he knows what is in his best interest."

Vitani frowned. Hadn't this happened with Simba? He had come back, and Scar had not been able to defeat him. Her mother was not a murderer, tough, was she? She just wanted them to have what was rightfully theirs.

"Go now," Zira said in a low hiss. "Find him."

Vitani scampered out from behind the tall grass. She was finally old enough to be out on her own. She had only recently stopped receiving milk from her mother; eating meat felt liberating. She was not far from Pride Rock. She could see several lionesses scattered about, lying down and soaking up the sun.

And then she spotted him. Kopa was a stocky lion cub with rich yellow fur. His was almost a year old now, and his reddish-brown mane was starting to make its way down his neck. He had been trotting forward, but he stopped when he saw Vitani. His eyes lit up, and he smiled at her. "Hi, Vitani," he said brightly as he neared her. "Great day, isn't it?"

Vitani smiled nervously. "Yes. I enjoy the sun."

Kopa nodded. "Me too. What are you doing out here all alone? Isn't your brother supposed to be watching you?"

Vitani made a face; she hated being watched. "I got rid of Nuka earlier. He's no fun."

"Well, I'm lots of fun," Kopa said with a grin. "Do you want to go explore?"

"Sure," Vitani said. She knew her mother would be pleased. This was _exactly_ what she needed. "Can I lead this time?"

Kopa shrugged. "Sure. Let's go."

Vitani was nervous as she started forward in a direction that led away from the Pridelands. She needed to say something. "How is your sister?"

"She's great," Kopa said brightly. "She just got back from the nursing den."

Vitani smiled slightly. "That's good." All mothers with newborn cubs spent a month in the nursing den until the cub could open its eyes. The young lioness suddenly wondered what her mother was planning on doing with Kiara. Perhaps she would not view her as a threat since she was a female.

"Where are we going?" Kopa asked curiously as he looked around.

Vitani shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "Just exploring." She was glad that he continued to talk to her. She did not want to be alone with her thoughts, lest her conscience start nagging her. Kopa was her friend. Why was she doing this? "I've never been out here before." She usually kept close to Pride Rock.

"Oh, there's lots to explore," Kopa said. "I can show you everything."

Vitani winced as she watched him beam with pride. It was times like this when she wondered if her mother was right. Kopa was not a bad guy, and he wanted to be king so much. Was it really wrong if he attained his goal? Why not let the past goal?

But she had to listen; family was important. She knew that no one thought that her family belonged here. She could see the way the lioness looked at them, and she could hear the whispers. The others cubs stayed away from her and Nuka. Kopa was the only one who was different, so why was he the one being punished? He was her only friend… What was she going to do without him?

"Is something wrong?" Kopa asked with worry in his voice.

Vitani had not noticed that she had slowed down, and she was staring at the ground with a somber expression on her face. "Kopa…" she began slowly as she came to a halt. She did not want to do this. There had to be a way out. But… If she did not comply, would her mother kill him? She shuddered at the thought. She could _not _let that happen. "You have to leave."

"What are you talking about?" Kopa said, clearly confused. "I thought we were going exploring."

Vitani could not bear to look at him. "Get out of here. Away from the Pridelands. You're in danger."

"Vitani… This isn't funny. What's going on?"

Vitani gritted her teeth and turned her head away. Why couldn't he just leave? Why did he have to make this so difficult? "Go!" she shouted. "You can't stay here!"

"Vitani!" Kopa's voice sounded panicked now. He scampered around her so that he was facing her. "What are you talking about?"

Vitani finally slowly raised her head to look at him. Her eyes were filled with sorrow and regret. "I'm sorry," she whispered. She could hear the sound of racing paws. They were coming. "Just run." She spun around and saw some of her mother's friends racing toward them.

"Good work, Vitani," one of them said, giving her a sly grin as she walked past.

Kopa's eyes widened when the lionesses surrounded him and began to slowly pace around him. "What do you want? Vitani?" He looked at her for help.

Vitani cringed inwardly. Teeth clenched, she forced herself to turn away and flee the scene.

"Simba!"

Nala lifted her head when she saw her mate enter the den, appearing tired and worn. Luckily, baby Kiara was still fast asleep in her mother's arms.

"They killed Kopa," Simba said with anguish in his eyes.

Nala let out a gasp. "No!" Grief began to cover her own face. Not her little boy! She knew Zira had been close to Scar, but she did not suspect she would go this far to extract revenge.

Simba let out a heavy sigh. "There were too many of them. I tried to stop them, but…"

"It's not your fault," Nala said, letting some sympathy slip into her voice. "We all trusted them."

Simba's eyes fell on his daughter. "Did they come after Kiara?"

Nala nodded. "Our mothers fought them off. Your mother was injured, though. My mother is helping her. I'm not sure she's going to make it…" Tears welled in her eyes. Why did tragedy have to strike just when they thought everything was fine? What had they done to deserve this?

Simba let out a groan. "No. They must be punished. They cannot get away with murder." He clenched his teeth together and growled.

"What are you going to do?"

"Banish them," Simba said. "They can try to survive in the Outlands. They no longer belong here."

Nala smiled grimly. "It's probably for the best. I can't believe they'd go after Kopa…" He was so young and innocent; he had never seen it coming.

Simba stepped forward and nuzzled his mate comfortingly. "Everything is going to be alright" he whispered. "We have Kiara. I promise I will never let anything happen to her."

Both lions looked at the baby. Kiara opened her eyes and blinked at them uncomprehendingly. She had no way to know that she was now the future queen of Pride Rock.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_"Get out of here!" the dark lion cub growled, his haunches raised and his fur bristling._

_ Vitani's eyes widened in fright, and she took a step back. "You can't hurt me, Afua," she said in what she hoped was a confident voice._

_ Afua scoffed. "Why? Is your good-for-nothing brother around? You know I could take him any day."_

_ "Don't talk about him like that!" Vitani said angrily, glaring at her adversary. Why did everyone have to pick on her and her family? Why had they ever done to them?_

_ "What's going on here?" another voice said._

_ Vitani felt relieved when she saw Prince Kopa stalking over to them, clearly not pleased._

_ Afua relaxed upon seeing his friend. He sat and curled his tail around his paws. "I'm just putting her in her place." He lifted his paw and licked it absentmindedly._

_ "Leave her alone," Kopa said with a deep growl. He stood in front of Vitani protectively. "She didn't do anything to you."_

_ Afua lowered his paw and frowned. "Not yet."_

_ Vitani rolled her eyes. "By acting like that, you're not helping your chances."_

_ Afua immediately bristled, and he leapt to his feet. "See? She threatens me!"_

_ "I think you should leave," Kopa said._

_ Afua snorted. "Fine. Just keep her away from me." With that, he turned and stalked off._

_ Vitani's ears flattened as she watched him leave. Why did he hate her? She knew it had something to do with her mother, but she could not quite figure it out._

_ Kopa turned to her and gazed at her sympathetically. "Are you alright?"_

_ "I could have taken him," Vitani said as she pawed the ground._

_ Kopa smirked in amusement. "I bet."_

_ "Thank you," Vitani said, looking up at him. She appreciated how he always defended her. He was her only friend._

_ Kopa smiled at her. "Any time." He flicked her ear with his tail. "Do you want to go play?"_

_ Vitani grinned. "Of course!" The two of them took off running and laughing._

_ The scene suddenly morphed. Vitani was standing with her family, Simba and the lionesses before them. Some of the lionesses had sided with them, and Simba was glaring at them all angrily._

_ "D-dead?" Vitani said, speaking the words in horror. That wasn't what she wanted!_

_ "Get out and never return!" Simba bellowed. "If any of you set a paw into the Pridelands again, my lionesses will not hesitate to kill you."_

_ Vitani gulped as she stared at him in fear. Her family turned and fled._

_ The scene changed again. Now Vitani was in the Outlands. She skidded to a halt in front of a hyena cub. Vitani recognized her as Asante, Kopa's friend._

_ "Where is Kopa?" the hyena said in distress. "What have you done with him?"_

_ "No," Vitani said, shaking her head. "I didn't mean – this wasn't- I only -"_

Vitani jerked awake. Her heart was beating quickly, and she looked around the den frantically. She only calmed once she realized she was in the Pridelands. Her memories had entered her dreams. She was safe now.

She knew the reason for her dream. Princess Kiara had just returned from the nursing den with two young cubs. The male and firstborn, Sadiku, was to be presented that morning. A new prince. Vitani had not thought about Pride Rock's last prince in a long time. She thought she had gotten over what had happened. Somehow, the events she wished to forget has penetrated her too deeply for her to do so.

"Vitani?"

The tan lioness turned her head to see Kovu standing near her, watching her in concern. "Are you alright?" he asked. "You were talking in your sleep."

Vitani winced slightly as she pulled herself up onto her paws. "Did you hear anything?"

Kovu shook his head. "I couldn't make anything out." He paused. "I thought you were done having nightmares. You're weren't dreaming about that cub again, were you?"

Vitani glanced down at her paws. She used to have nightmares like this when she was a cub, except usually they were much worse. After much pestering, she had told her younger brother what had happened. She appreciated how kind and understanding he had been. She let out a heavy sigh before lookup up at him. "I'm fine, Kovu. I promise."

Kovu seemed uncertain, but he nodded his head. "Alright. You going to be at Sadiku's presentation, aren't you?"

Vitani managed a small smile. "Of course. I wouldn't miss. I think I need some air. I'll see you later." Kovu did not stop her as she padded out of the den. She could see the sun beginning to rise in the distance. The others would be up soon.

As she walked through the grass, she reflected on how easy it had been for the former outlanders to fit into the Pridelands. Perhaps it was because many of them had lived their previously. Kovu had Kiara, and Vitani had never seen him happier. That left just Vitani, who did not truly feel like she belonged.

Maybe it was because of her mother. Being raised to hate Simba and Pridelanders had an effect that was hard to shake off. She had to consciously tell herself that she was not in enemy territory. She hoped being around Kovu and Kiara's cubs would help. She thought that being an aunt might be just what she needed to finally relax and settle down.

She wandered for awhile until she saw the animals making their march for Pride Rock. It was time for the ceremony. She took her place at the front among the other lionesses. They cast her a glance but otherwise did not say anything.

Soon, Rafiki was standing at the edge of Pride Rock. Kiara and Kovu walked up behind him, carrying Sadiku and Aziza respectively. Simba and Nala stood behind them. All four adults looked as proud as they could be. Vitani yearned to feel something, but there was only the anxiety that she was desperately trying to hide.

Rafiki took the reddish brown cub from Kiara's jaws and marked him. Then he stepped forward again and raised the prince up high.

The animals immediately started cheering. Vitani roared along with the rest of the lionesses. The future of the Pridelands was now secure. They had a prince.

"Congratulations," Vitani said as she padded into the den.

Kiara smiled at her. She held her two cubs securely in her arms, and Kovu stood beside her looking down at them. "Thank you, Vitani," she said.

Before anyone could say anything more, Simba rushed to the entrance of the den. "Kiara! Kovu!" he panted. "Follow me. I have to show you something."

The two parents exchanged looks. "Will you watch Sadiku and Aziza?" Kiara asked Vitani.

"Of course," Vitani said.

The cubs tried to cling to their mom as she stood up, but Vitani gently pulled them back by the scruffs of their neck. Then she lay down and gathered them in her arms. They settled down a second later.

"Thank you," Kovu said as he dashed out of the den with his mate.

Vitani glanced down at the cubs. This was the first time she had gotten a good look at them since they were born. Sadiku was slightly bigger than his sister. His main pelt was reddish brown, and his underbelly, paws, and muzzle, where a creamy brown. His tail tuft was dark brown, and Vitani predicted this would also be the color of his mane once it started to grow in. His eyes were blue like his grandmother's.

Aziza's fur was much lighter. Her main pelt was light brown, similar to the color of Kovu's underbelly, muzzle, and paws. Her secondary fur was a creamy gold like her mother's main pelt. Her eyes were green like her father. Vitani concluded that the female carried more traits from her parents and the male carried traits from past generations. It was a good mix, and Vitani found them pretty cute.

A little while later, Vitani heard pawsteps, and she looked up. Kovu and Kiara had returned. "What was that about?" she asked.

"Boga gave birth to another cub!" Kiara said, her eyes bright. "My father wanted to show us how to handle the situation. I was a bit nervous, but birth is so miraculous!"

Kovu smiled wryly. "I think she was braver about it than I was."

Kiara rolled her eyes. "You fainted when I had Sadiku and Aziza."

Vitani laughed. "What's the cub's name?"

"Tendaji," Kiara said, smiling again. "The father is Afua… again."

Vitani frowned at this. "Is Afua still hanging around?"

"He visits Boba occasionally," Kiara said. A small amount of sadness had splashed over her face. "They really want to be together. I do not understand why we have to send males away once they are five years old. It's not fair. Now Boba will have to lose two sons, assuming one of them will not catch the interest of Aziza."

"The age is five?" Kovu said, seeming surprised.

Kiara nodded. "My father said that is the age most lions are strong enough to challenge the king. We banish them so they won't have the chance."

"It's a sticky problem," Vitani said. "You've got to deal with it somehow. Besides, any male who has already found a lioness can go and start his own pride. Everyone wins."

Kiara frowned. "Most lionesses are too attached to their pride to want to leave. It's not fair that the only lionesses who get to find love have to be royal."

Vitani felt uncomfortable under her sympathetic gaze, and she glanced down at the cubs in her arms. "Have more cubs. Spread the love around."

Kovu chuckled lightly. "We'll have to think about that one."

Kiara snorted. "I'm going to think about a way around the law without putting the pride in danger."

Kovu smiled at her warmly. "You're going to be a great queen some day," he purred.

"Alright, I'm out," Vitani said before standing up. She was not going to sit around for all of this mushy stuff. She had never been attracted to romance, perhaps because her brothers were the only males she had known growing up. Also, since Kovu was adopted, their mother had betrothed her too him. Both of them had found it weird since their affections were that of siblings. Needless to say, it was a relief when he found Kiara.

"We'll see you later, Vitani," Kovu said as he walked to where she had previously been standing. He picked up Sadiku in his jaws, and Kiara did the same with Aziza.

Vitani gave them a nod before padding out of the den. Once they were out of earshot, she let out a long sigh.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Sadiku's paws grazed upon rock as he dashed out of the den. He looked out at the rising sun with excitement. It was another beautiful day in the Pridelands, and he was Prince! He jutted down the stone path that led to the grass to see if anyone else was awake. He knew his lazy sister was still sleeping close to their parents. Aziza never wanted to share in any of his adventures. She said they were too _dangerous_. He snorted at the thought.

He could make out the scent of only one lion as he stalked forward. He smiled to himself when he saw Vitani lying in the grass, staring straight ahead. Sadiku ran forward and leapt onto her back while crying out, "Hey, Aunt Vitani!"

Vitani's ears pricked in alarm. She sat up, causing the cub to slide down her back and almost fall off. "What?" She looked behind her at Sadiku and frowned. "Oh. Hey, kid. You're up early."

Sadiku laughed. "So are you." He hopped off her back and walked around to face her.

Vitani shrugged. "I like to watch the sunrise."

"Is anyone else up?" Sadiku asked hopefully.

Vitani's nose twitched. "No. They're getting their rest like you should be doing." She stretched, arching her back up, and yawned. "I don't know how cubs have this much energy."

"Dad said it's a prince thing."

Vitani sat down again and smirked in amusement. "He would know." She paused. "Why don't you wake him up and bother him?"

Sadiku frowned slightly as he looked off at the ground. "Mom said he needs his sleep. She's not even queen yet…" Thinking of something, he looked back at his aunt. "Hey, mom will be queen after Grandpa Simba dies, right?"

Vitani blinked. "That's right."

"What if I'm grown by the time he dies? Can't I just become king? Mom doesn't want to be queen anyway." It made sense to him. He did not want to have to wait forever, and it was wrong to wish for his relatives' deaths.

Vitani looked at him in surprise. "I don't know. It would depend on the law. I would assume that they would prefer a king to a queen." She shrugged. "It'll be up to Kiara."

"Oh." Sadiku would have to remember to ask his mother about it sometime. He looked up when he heard movement on Pride Rock. His eyes brightened when he saw Simba emerge from the den. "I'm gonna go talk to Grandpa. See you later, Aunt Vitani."

"Later, kid," Vitani said as he dashed back up the stones.

Simba was heading right towards Sadiku as the cub leapt into view. "Grandpa!" the young lion said happily.

Simba seemed surprised to see the cub, but then he smiled at him. "Good morning, Sadiku. I did not know you were up."

"I didn't want to miss any action," Sadiku explained. "Are you going to survey the land?"

Simba chuckled lightly. "Yes, I am." A small smirk played on his lips. "Would you like to join me?"

"Yes!" Sadiku exclaimed, nearly falling over with joy. "I want you to show me how to be king. Mom doesn't tell me anything."

Simba laughed and led the way down the stones. "She is not even queen yet. I'm still preparing her."

"I want to be prepared as soon as possible," Sadiku said, falling in step beside the king.

Simba looked back at him, and Sadiku saw something in his eyes he could not recognize. "You remind me of someone I used to know," he murmured, more to himself than to the cub.

Sadiku blinked in confusion. "Really? Who?"

Simba shook his head. "Never mind. Come on."

Sadiku frowned but did not press the matter. He was just happy the king was letting him accompany him while he fulfilled his duties.

Sadiku felt wide awake by the time he left Simba in order to pursue his own fun. It seemed like everyone else was up as well. He could see lionesses sprawled out on rocks and grass close to Pride Rock, a few of them with cubs. The young prince glided through, searching for one lion in particular.

He brightened when he saw the family he had been looking for. Boga was a pale yellow lioness with orange eyes. She looked relaxed lying on the grass under the shade of a tall, large stone. She was lazily watching her sons, poised in mock combat. Imamu was the oldest. He was a pale yellow lion with a light brown mane that ran down his neck. He bent down to pounce on his younger brother, Tendaji, who was Sadiku's best friend. The two cubs were about the same age. Tendaji had dark brown fur, and the scruff of mane on the top of his head was black. He was growling at the older brother.

"Hey, guys!" Sadiku said.

Tendaji stopped growling, and he turned to smile at his friend. "Hi, Sadiku!"

Imamu took the opportunity to leap onto his brother, sending them both tumbling into a heap. Imamu fought to be on top. He smiled triumphantly once he had pinned Tendaji to the ground. "I win!"

Boga chuckled at her sons before turning to look at the prince in amusement. "Hello, Sadiku."

Sadiku smirked at Tendaji, who looked very displeased with himself. "Good job. I'll get him for you." Without giving him time to think, he pounced on Imamu, sending him off his feet and away from Tendaji.

"Hey!" Imamu growled. The two of them tussled for awhile.

Imamu was always a challenge for Sadiku, but he saw this as something good. These were chances to test his skills and become stronger. When he had had enough, he slipped away and bounded back over to Tendaji.

The youngest lion laughed on his friend. "Do you want to go play?"

"Of course!" Sadiku said enthusiastically. "That's why I'm here!"

"Have fun," Imamu said as he sat up and spit out dirt.

"Mom, can we go?" Imamu said, smiling at his mother hopefully.

Boga chuckled lightly. "Yes. Go on."

The two cubs did not need any further encouragement. The dashed off to the right in the direction of the other lionesses. They knew exactly where they needed to go. Once they had reached the other side of the area, they turned to the left and kept running.

They found the two girls exactly where they expected. Aziza did not like to be around many lions. She and her friend Nyah liked to hide a little way out behind a row of shrubs. Sadiku could smell them as he and Tendaji neared. With only a glance at each other, they crouched down low and leapt over the shrubs.

A cry of surprise filled Sadiku's ears as his paws hit white fur. He immediately pinned Nyah to the ground and then looked over to see Tendaji do the same to Aziza. "Haha!" he said. "Got ya!"

"Get off," Aziza growled.

"Ok," Tendaji said happily as he hopped off.

Aziza stood up and shook off her fur. Then she sent Tendaji a glare. "Thanks a lot."

After Sadiku let Nyah up, she ran over to stand beside her friend. "You guys are terrible," she said.

"Aw, we were just having fun," Tendaji said.

"We don't like your kind of fun," Aziza said, now glaring at her brother.

"You're just jealous because I'm going to be future king and you're not," Sadiku said haughtily.

Aziza snorted. "Yeah right." She sat and wrapped her tail neatly around her paws. "Like I would want to spend all day ruling. That is no fun."

Saduki rolled his eyes. "Just keep telling yourself yet." In all honesty, his sister had never seemed very jealous, though, she may have just been good at hiding it.

Nyah let out a short sigh. "Can you just leave us alone?" She walked over to her friend and sat. "We were trying to talk."

"About what?" Tendaji asked curiously.

"Girl talk," Aziza said.

Sadiku and Tendaji exchanged looks. "Ok, we're out," Tendaji said. He turned and scampered away.

"See ya, sis," Saduki said as he followed the other male cub out into the prairie.

"You know, Nyah is kind of cute," Tendaji said once they were alone.

Sadiku made a face. "Ew. You can't be thinking about girls that way. We're way too young."

Tendaji shrugged. "Sorry. It's going to happen someday, mate."

Sadiku glanced down at the ground and did not say any more. The truth of the matter was that he knew his friend could not have a happy ending with any lioness other than Aziza. Of course, he was bound to be punished from the pride anyway once he was of age, but it would be even harder if he had to leave a mate as well or convince her to leave with him. In any case, it was not a conversation Sadiku would be willing to have with a girl; it would be better to go off and find someone knew.

The two cubs chatted idly as they ventured further and further from the Pridelands. They liked seeing just how far they could go. Sadiku wanted to get to know his territory as much as possible; he would have to patrol the borders once he was king.

"Hey, Sadiku, what's that?" Tendaji said once they neared the edge of the Pridelands.

Sadiku saw a dot in the distance, and he squinted his eyes to see it better. "I'm not sure." He slowed to a halt. The dot was coming closer, and there was a black and gray cloud behind it. Soon, he thought he could make out a yellow shape. "I think it's a cub."

Tendaji let out a gasp. "I think you're right. Let's go!"

The two of them took off again. They skidded to a halt only when they reached the border. Now Sadiku was certain that there was a cub running toward them. As it grew closer, he guessed that it was a female. She seemed to be calling out to them, but he could not make out what she was saying.

"Uh, Sadiku…" Tendaji said slowly.

Sadiku's eyes widened. The black and grew cloud was a herd of vicious-looking animals that he had never seen before. They appeared to be chasing the cub. After feeling panicked for a moment, he straightened up and put on his brave face. He was a prince! He turned to his friend and said, "Tendaji, get help. Find Zazu and alert my family."

"Wh-what are you going to do?" Tendaji asked nervously.

"I'm going to help the cub. Now go!"

Tendaji's eyes widened in horror, but he turned and ran off.

Sadiku only had a little time to think. He could not fight off those creatures, and that cub was bound to be tired from running. They had to hide. Sadiku sniffed around for a few seconds. He had been here before, and he had the perfect spot.

"Over here!" Saduki called when the cub was close enough. Then he turned and sprinted towards a row of bushes. He squeezed behind one of them and ducked down in a hole.

A few moments later, something pushed into him. "Are you sure this will work?" a female voice whispered from beside him.

Sadiku opened his mouth to reply, but a growl made him freeze.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Vitani trudged back to Pride Rock after another weary walk. There never seemed to be much for her to do here. The other lionesses were much more accepting of her now than they had been when she was a cub, but that did not mean they had anything to talk about. She wished she could find Sadiku again. The young prince was one of the few lions she actually enjoyed being around.

"Vitani, have you seen Sadiku?" Kovu asked. He was lying down with his mate near the base of Pride Rock. Nala was off to the side next to Kiara.

"Not since this morning," Vitani said. "I suppose he's with that male cub friend of his."

"Tendaji?" Kiara said. She stood up. "I could go talk to Boga."

"Help!" a tiny voice yelled.

Vitani spun around to see Tendaji racing towards the lions, appearing out of breath. "What is it?" she snapped.

Kovu and Nala both stood up. "Is something wrong?" Nala said in alarm.

Tendaji stood before them. It took him a moment to speak because he was panting heavily. "Sadiku… needs help. There are… creatures… chasing a cub… by the border. Zazu found Simba. He said something about Hyenas." His breathing had returned to normal, but his eyes looked while.

"Hyenas?" Nala said with a gasp. Then a stern look crossed her face. "You three, come with me. We have to help Simba. Tendaji, stay here. Alert the lionesses if we're not back soon."

Tendaji nodded before collapsing on the ground.

"Hyenas?" Vitani growled as the four adults took off. "I thought they ran off."

"What if they've come back?" Kiara said, fear in her voice.

"Simba will know how to handle them," Nala said in a confident voice. "We've had experience with them."

They said no more as they raced into the distance. Soon, they could see a blue bird circling overhead.

"This way!" Zazu called, and the lions followed him through the grass.

Vitani hoped they would get a chance to fight. She wanted a chance to feel useful for a change. Scaring off hyenas could be the cure she was looking for. Her eyes narrowed when she saw a black and white blob in the distance. There was something yellow mixed in between that must have been Simba.

"Where's Sadiku?" Kiara said, letting panic slip into her voice.

"Over by the bushes," Zazu replied. He swooped down in the direction he had indicated.

"I'll find him and protect him," Kiara said. "The rest of you need to help Simba."

"That sounds like a good idea," Nala said.

It seemed typical of the princess to not want to fight, but Vitani did not argue. It was her cub who was in danger, after all. She felt her claws emerge as she neared the battle. There appeared to be about a dozen hyenas ganging up on the king. Simba seemed to be having trouble, but with three fresh lions, the gang would not be a problem.

Once she was close enough, Vitani leapt into battle. Her claws dug into gray fur, and a grin spread across her face. This was living. "Go back to where you came from," she growled, and she slashed the hyena across its flank.

The hyena bit her tail. She spun around and responded by biting his leg. The hyena yowled and jumped away. "Does anyone else want this?" Vitani said with a grin as she looked around.

Another hyena hurled himself at her. She lifted her paws up and flipped him over her head. Then she quick moved forward and bit into his stomach, causing the animal to howl in pain. She stepped back to see if the hyena has had enough. Sure enough, he got to his feet and scampered away. Vitani smirked in satisfaction.

She took the chance to survey the situation. Nala was in combat with two hyenas, while Kovu and Simba were taking on five combined. Then something caught Vitani out of the corner of her eye. She turned and saw two hyenas slinking away in the direction of the Outlands. Neither seemed hurt. She was pondering running after them, but then she decided she had more pressing matters. With new resolve, she leapt into the pile to help her brother.

The battle came to a close after several long minutes. Vitani was tired, but she was not hurt too badly. She only had a few minor cuts and scrapes. Kovu and Nala seemed to be in similar shape. Simba however, had collapsed to the ground. Vitani's smile faded when she saw blood staining his golden fur. She could see at least one major cut along his side. She suddenly felt sick.

There was a loud gasp behind her. "Father!" Kiara cried. She and Nala rushed to the king's side. After giving Simba a mournful look, she turned to Vitani and Kovu, who were standing together with their mouths open in shock. "Get the cubs." She looked up. "Zazu, find Rafiki."

"Yes, of course," Zazu said before flying up.

Vitani blinked. "Cub_s_?"

Sure enough, there was a small, yellow cub lying next to Sadiku. "Who's she?" Vitani asked in confusion.

"The hyenas must have been after her," Kovu said. He walked forward towards the cub, and his sister followed a second later. He bent down and picked up Sadiku by the scruff of his neck.

Vitani stared at the female cub, who was looking up at her with fear in her eyes. The lioness hesitated before picking her up in her jaws. Then she turned and followed the other lions through the grass in the direction of Pride Rock.

The cub felt heavy and awkward hanging from Vitani's mouth. She was not used to carrying around cubs. Sometimes she would have to pick up her nephew or niece, but it was not a regular occasion. She had never thought about having cubs of her own. It seemed much too complicated. Could a mate and cubs really fill the void in her life? She doubted it. Her current family was enough.

Vitani shook the thoughts from her head as she continued the long trek home. Her mind began to wander to the attack. Why were the hyenas after her? Where had she come from? Then she thought about Simba. She knew he was growing older, but he would survive, right? He had to have been through worse in the past.

The peach lioness was grateful when the rest of the pride came into view. They lioness seemed alert, and they appeared to be waiting for the warriors' return. The cubs were huddled close to their mothers. Aziza stood next to Nyah and Zubeda, Nyah's mother. Tendaji was also close to his brother and mother. A look of relief crossed his face when he saw Kovu carrying his friend.

"Sadiku!" he cried, running forward. "You're all right?" But then he saw Simba, and a loud gasp escaped his mouth. "What happened?!"

Vitani wanted to tell the cub to shut up, but her mouth was full. Luckily, Boga pulled him back and whispered something in his ear. Tendaji's ears flattened, and he looked away.

A murmur broke out through the pride as Nala and Kiara helped Simba up onto Pride Rock where Rafiki was waiting somberly; Zazu was standing beside him. "Bring him inside," Rafiki said. Then he looked from Kovu to Vitani. "It is best you wait. I will assess the damage."

Vitani was slightly relieved that she would not have to watch Simba be evaluated. She was not sure her nerves could take it. Besides, now she could question the cub in her mouth. She and Kovu set the cubs down next to each other. Vitani opened her mouth to speak, but at a look from her brother, she closed it again.

"What happened, Sadiku?" Kovu asked gently.

Sadiku pressed his body against the ground, his ears flat. Vitani had never seen him so frightened. "I-I don't know," he said. "I-I saw her and had to help. She was being chased, so we hid…"

"What is your name?" Kovu asked the female cub in a gentle voice. Vitani silently wondered if being with Kiara had made him soft.

The light yellow cub held a pose similar to Sadiku. At the question however, she managed to sit up. "K-Kamili," she said.

"Where are you from?" Vitani asked gruffly.

Kamili's ears flattened again. "The Rushlands." She looked at Kovu. "Are you the king?"

Kovu shook his head. "No. The gold lion who was injured is King Simba. Kiara, his daughter, is my mate."

"M-maybe we should wait," Kamili said. "I-I need help. We've been attacked."

"By hyenas?" Vitani growled.

Kamili nodded.

"We'll have to discuss this with Simba and Kiara," Kovu said. "For now, I'm sure no one would mind if you stayed with us."

"Th-thank you. What is your name?"

"Kovu," the dark lion said with a small smile. "This is my sister, Vitani. Your hero here is my son, Sadiku."

Vitani smirk. "He's a prince."

Sadiku sat up at the mention of his name. He puffed out his chest to make himself look braver. "That's right." He flashed the female a grin. "It's nice to meet you, Kamili."

Kamili smiled bashfully. "You too, Sadiku." Her stomach growled and her smile faded. "Oh, I'm sorry. I haven't eaten all day."

"Let's go see if the hunting party has returned," Kovu said. "It could take our mind off of everything."

Vitani thought this was a good idea. She followed Kovu down the rocks, while the cubs trailed behind her. There was an area off to the side of Pride Rock where food was brought. Everyone could eat whatever lay there, but all had to contribute. The four lions found an antelope; they all gathered around and began to eat in silence.

Vitani had just about had her fill when Nala and Kiara's combined roars silenced the pride. Vitani looked up and saw the two lionesses standing atop Pride Rock with Rafiki behind them. Vitani walked with Kovu as everyone gathered beneath the rock.

"My father had been injured," Kiara said in a remarkably strong voice considering the circumstances. "Rafiki does not know if he will make it through the night." Her voice began to crack, and she bowed her head, unable to go on.

"Simba was hurt because he bravely fought off an invading pack of hyenas," Nala said. "We will discuss this matter later, but for now, give the king space in the den and honor him for his heroic sacrifices."

The lionesses bowed their heads and murmured their agreement.

"What about Kamili?" Sadiku whispered.

"Tomorrow," Vitani said. "She can stay with us tonight."

A wail woke Vitani. It was Nala's, and it was followed by a sob from Kiara. Vitani knew without looking what had happened. She could hear the other lionesses stirring. Then there were gasps and cries. Finally, Vitani opened her eyes and pulled herself to her feet.

It was too crowded in the den. She could not see anything, but there was a faint smell of death in the air. Simba had not been able to recover from his wounds. The king was dead.

The news spread like wildfire. Vitani emerged from the den in order to find space. Soon, others joined her. The sun was beginning to rise, and she could see that the other animals had caught whiff of the news.

Vitani found the situation a bit odd. She had spent most of her life hating Simba for what he had done to her and her family, but now she felt saddened at his death. Maybe she did belong here after all. At least, she was not who her mother had wanted her to be. There was something better here. These lions were not her enemy. Her brother was one of them.

The lionesses gathered at the bottom of Pride Rock and looked up. After several minutes, Rafiki emerged from the den and made his way to the tip of the rock. With a sorrowful gaze across the herd of animals, he said, "The king has passed on."

Mournful cries broke out through the crowd; Vitani merely bowed her head respectfully. When she looked up, she saw that Nala, Kiara, and Kovu were not standing on Pride Rock behind the monkey.

"Now we have a new queen," Rafiki said in a stronger voice. "I present Queen Kiara."

Kiara stepped forward. There were tears in her eyes, but she looked confident and beautiful. She let out a mighty roar, which the lionesses returned. Kovu walked up to stand beside her. They roared together.

Vitani felt a small flicker of hope inside her. She knew Kiara would be a good queen, and Kovu would do well beside her. The Pridelands would be just fine.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Aziza could not believe her grandfather was dead. How could it have happened? He had fought off plenty of invaders in the past, and he had experience with hyenas. Her mother said something about it being "his time" to go; whatever that meant. It did not seem fair to the young cub, but at least now she could say her mother was the queen.

Kiara was now with Kamili, the cub who as the cause of this trouble. She guided her over to a clearing underneath Pride Rock. Kovu, Vitani, Nala, and Sadiku soon joined them. Aziza was curious, so she padded over as well.

"Kamili," Kiara said calmly, sitting next to her face, "tell us how this all started."

Aziza squeezed in between Kovu and Sadiku. Her ears pricked in interest. Why would hyenas be after a cub?

Kamili took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. "I come from the Rushlands. My mother was the queen, and I was a princess."

Aziza saw Sadiku straighten up in surprise. Now he probably felt especially chivalrous for his actions the prior day. Aziza resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"But we were attacked," Kamili said with anguish in her voice. "A pack of hyenas attacked, and they were led by a lion. The lion drove out my parents and declared himself king." Her ears flattened.

Kiara and Kovu exchanged worried glances. "Who I this lion?" Kiara asked gently.

"I-I don't remember his name," Kamili said. "He is yellow and has a brown mane. He told me to leave or he'd kill me. I ran the rest of the day. The next morning, the hyenas were after me. The lion must have changed his mind about letting me live." She swallowed. She was shaking lightly.

Kiara was gazing at her with compassion. "I'm so sorry. Is there anything we can do to help?"

Aziza looked up at Kovu. Why did her father look so visibly uneasy? Nala looked troubled as well.

"Help me!" Kamili said, her eyes suddenly wide. "I've been looking for a pride to find my parents and fight off the hyenas. They're going to destroy everything. Please…" Her eyes turned sorrowful once again.

"I know exactly what you're talking about, child," Nala said soothingly. "The Pridelands were in a similar situation when I was your age. Defeating this lion should send the hyenas running. It would be best for your parents to lead the effort so that there will be a new ruler to take over."

"Than help me," Kamili pleaded.

"Do you know where your parents are?" Kovu asked after a moment of hesitation.

Kamili hung her head. "No."

"I'm sorry, but we cannot afford to send out too many lionesses to search for them," Kiara said. "I could ask Zazu to fly a little further during his patrols and try to gain information from passing animals. There may be more we can do later, but right now we're trying to recover after our king's death."

"Alright," Kamili mumbled. "Thanks anyway."

"If you have nowhere to go, you may stay with us," Kiara said. "I'm sure one of our lionesses would love to take you in." She paused before looking at the lioness to her left. "What about you, Vitani?"

Vitani blinked in surprise. "What?"

"Will you look after Kamili?" Kiara repeated.

Vitani looked like she was about to object, but then she saw Kamili look at her with a sad expression on her face. "Fine," she said. "That will not be a problem."

Kiara smiled slightly. "Good. I'll talk to Zazu. Good luck, Kamili. I'm sorry you've had to go through so much at such a young age."

Kamili nodded. "Thank you, Queen Kiara." She looked up. "Thank you, Vitani."

Vitani grunted in response.

Kamili looked lost as the meeting broke up and everyone dispersed. Aziza walked over and sat across from her. She was not usually very social, but she felt bad for the cub; she did not know what she would have done in that situation. "Hi," she said. "I'm Aziza. I'm Sadiku's sister and Kiara's daughter."

Kamili gave her a small smile. "Hello, Aziza. Sadiku did not mention you."

Aziza flicked her ears in annoyance. Of course he didn't. What did she matter when he was the prince? She pushed the thoughts away because they were unseemly. "I'm sorry about your pride. That sounds terrible."

Kamili nodded. "It is. I don' know what we did to deserve this…"

"It's not your fault," Aziza said. "Some lions are just hungry for power." She thought about her brother. Would he be willing to go to such lengths to gain the monarchy if needed? He was young; he would learn. She did not want to think a family member capable of such terrible things.

"I guess so," Kamili said, seeming uncertain. She paused. "The lion said girls aren't fit to rule, and my dad was not fit because he let my mom rule."

"Now that's just stupid," Aziza said with a low growl. "Boys aren't better than girls. And a girl trained to rule is going to be more effective than a random male."

"True," Kamili said. "But what if there's a choice? You and Sadiku are the same age. Which one of you will rule?"

Aziza frowned. "Sadiku," she said with a hint of resentment in her voice. "My parents say it's because he was born first and they needed a reason to choose one of us…"

Kamili shook her head. "In the Rushlands, if the monarch has more than one cub, we wait a full year before deciding which is more fit to rule. There's no way to tell when they're infants. Besides, both should learn how to rule in case something happens to one of them."

"That sounds like a good idea," Kamili said. "You should tell my mom. She's been wanting to make some changes around here." Hopefully, they would be for the better. Kiara had a chance to prove that females could govern well.

"Maybe," Kamili said.

"Hey, Kamili!" said Sadiku's voice. The cub was padding over to the girls with a smile on his face.

"Hi, Sadiku," Kamili said, smiling at him in return.

"Hey," Aziza said.

Sadiku glanced at her. "Hi." He looked back at Kamili. "Aunt Vitani wants me introduce you to everyone and show you around the territory."

"Ok," Kamili said, seeming happy. She looked at Aziza. "I'll see you later, Aziza."

The young princess nodded. "Have fun." She watched as her brother walked off with the girl. Kamili seemed pretty nice. She wondered if they could be friends in the future. It seemed like her brother was trying to snag her up first, though. Oh well. She still had Nyah.

She found her friend lying in the sun next to her mother, Zubeda. "Hello, Aziza," Zubeda said when she approached. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Aziza said. "Can I play with Nyah?"

Zubeda smiled. "Of course go ahead."

Nyah stood up and trotted over to her friend. "Hey, Aziza. How's it going?"

"Good," Aziza said as the two of them headed off to their usual meeting spot. "I talked to Kamili. The conditions in her pride are terrible!"

"That's so sad," Nyah said. "I wish there was something we could do to help."

"Grandpa Simba would know what to do," Aziza said. "He lived through something like this."

"I'm sure Kiara and Nala can figure something out," Nyah said. "I think your mother is going to be a good queen."

Aziza smiled slightly. "Thanks. So do I."

"And I think you would also make a good ruler."

Aziza frowned and did not respond. She did not like to think about ruling. There was no point. She would never become queen unless Sadiku died, and she felt bad about wishing for that. However, she did think he had a long way to go before he became fit to rule.

"You seem to have a lot of ideas for the pride," Nyah went on.

"I think there are improvements to be made, yes," Aziza said carefully, "but the current laws need to be followed first. They're there for a reason. Maybe I'll talk to my mom about it."

"I'm sure that will go well," Nyah said with a smile.

They neared the bushes where they liked to play. "I'll race you," Aziza said. She ran and took a flying leap over the bushes. A second later, Nyah joined her.

"Don't you want to explore some other place?" the white lion cub asked.

Aziza shook her head. "No. It's best to stick with what's tried and true."


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

It was another early morning for Sadiku. This morning was different than all the others, however. Everything had changed in such a short period of time. It was only two days prior that he had been following Simba around the kingdom, and now the king was dead. It was hard for him to understand. He was now closer to the throne, but this offered him little comfort.

Kiara had taken him for a walk the previous night. She stopped him and told him to look up at the stars. Sadiku did so and saw that they were shining brightly, same as ever.

"The great kings and queens of the past watch over us from the stars," Kiara said softly. "Your grandfather will be there now. He will always be there to help you when you need it."

Sadiku squinted his eyes, but the stars still looked likes stars to him. "How?"

"I don't know," Kiara said. It sounded like she was trying just as hard to convince herself as she was her son. "You just have to believe."

Sadiku had not been able to sleep much. After waking up for the fifth time, he finally got out of the cave. The sun was just appearing above the horizon. The prince was surprised to see a cub sitting along a ledge on the rock. Padding closer, he saw that it was Kamili. She must have been going through a lot as well. She did not even know if her parents were alive!

"Hey," he said gently.

Kamili turned her head to look at him. Her face appeared sad. "Hello, Sadiku."

Sadiku walked closer and sat beside her. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Kamili said, but her voice was cracking.

"If I were king, I would go with your to your pride to help you," Sadiku said as he puffed his chest out.

Kamili smiled slightly. "Thanks."

"You'll like it here, though," Sadiku went on. "The Pridelands is great. Everyone is not usually this sad."

"I bet."

"Do you like my Aunt Vitani?"

Kamili shrugged. "She doesn't seem very happy, even considering the situation. Is that normal for her?"

Sadiku frowned as he thought about his aunt. She didn't seem to get along with many lions other than her family. There was a reason for that, though. "She didn't grow up here. She had a rough childhood with a mother who didn't teach her right. I think it's still affecting her. You've just got to get to know her, though. She likes me."

Kamili nodded. "Ok. I'm sure I can get through to her. No one has ever not liked me." She frowned. "Until that lion and the hyenas took over."

Sadiku felt irked upon hearing about this again. Who did that lion think he was, anyway? Hyenas were the enemies. Why would they team up together? Why would hyenas let a lion take control? There was something fishy going on. He swished his tail. "We would never let anything like that happen in the Pridelands."

"But didn't that lioness say it has happened here?"

"Exactly! We can learn from it and prevent it from happening again."

Kamili did not seem as certain. "Hopefully. I just wish I knew where my parents were." Her ears flattened.

Sadiku gave her a sympathetic look. It did not feel good to not be able to do something about an obvious injustice. The only thing he could think of was to befriend his cub, and that was doing a lot since he usually did not hang out around girls his age. "You need to take your mind off of it. Do you want to go play? I'll show you my favorite spots."

A small smile spread across Kamili's face. "Ok. I'd like that."

The two lion cubs stood up and walked down the rock path together just as the sun made its full entrance.

Sadiku was surprised to find that Kamili had more to tell him about her pride than he did about his. He actually found it fascinating. The Rushlands were like the Pridelands, but there were subtle differences. "I never thought about other prides," Sadiku said as the two of them walked in the direction of Pride Rock. "The Pridelands have been my whole world."

"I didn't either," Kamili said. "I knew other prides must have existed, but I never gave them a thought. We don't interact with each other; where's the need? I do wonder why we don't visit each other. The Rushlands could have used an ally."

"I think lions are more likely to fight than help each other," Sadiku said. He shrugged. "It's a power thing."

Kamili frowned. "Yeah, well, maybe that has to change."

Before Sadiku could respond, Tendaji bounded over to them. "Hey, Sadiku," the dark brown cub said. He smiled at the female. "You're Kamili, right?"

Kamili nodded. "Yes. What's your name again?"

"Tendaji. I'm the most fun cub around here." He puffed out his chest in pride. "You really should be hanging out with me instead of this fluff ball."

Sadiku rolled his eyes. "I taught you everything you know."

Kamili just smiled at both of them. "We can all play together. There's no contest."

"Ok," Tendaji said brightly. "Let's go explore the Outlands!"

At first, Sadiku thought this was a great idea, but then he remembered a recent conversation he had had with Kiara. A small frown formed on his face. "Maybe we shouldn't. My mom said some of the hyenas may be hiding out there."

"We can take them," Tendaji said, flexing his claws.

"What's the Outlands?" Kamili asked curiously.

"The land beyond our borders," Sadiku explained. "It's where my father grew up. No lion lives there now, though. Hyenas used to."

"Do you think they're there now?" Kamili's eyes had grown wide with fear.

Sadiku felt something stir inside him that he did not quite understand; he only knew he wanted to protect her from harm. "Yeah, maybe we shouldn't go. It's too soon."

"Fine," Tendaji mumbled, but he did not look happy. He sat down and swatted his tail at the dirt.

"You know, I don't think they're all bad," Kamili said after a moment of hesitation.

Sadiku looked at her and blinked. "Hyenas?"

Kamili nodded. "When the pack came after me, there were two who said they wanted to protect me. I saw some of the fighting, and they seemed to be on _our_ side. But then they were gone, so I don't know. I never learned much about hyenas. They could have been lying."

"Bet they were," Tendaji said. "Never trust anything that isn't a lion."

"What about Zazu?" Sadiku said.

Tendaji frowned. "He's always telling on us when we do something wrong." He stood up and stretched his legs. "I suppose he could be an exception. Are you guys hungry?"

"Very," Kamili said. "I haven't eaten much in the past few days."

Sadiku smiled at her. "Well, let's go see if there's any food around." With his head held high, he led the way to the clearing where food was usually brought. When they neared it, Sadiku saw Vitani walking the same direction with something small clamped in her jaws. "Hey, Aunt Vitani!" Sadiku called "What do you have?"

Vitani dropped the object on the ground. "A mouse," she replied as she looked at the cubs. She glanced down at the rodent. "I killed it."

Sadiku made a face. "Why would you want to eat a mouse? They're so small."

Vitani shrugged. "It's what we mostly ate in the Outlands."

"I've eaten them before," Kamili said. "They're not bad."

At the mention of the Outlands, a question popped into Sadiku's head. "Hey, Aunt Vitani, are there any hyenas who are friendly to lions?"

Vitani looked at him oddly. "Of course not! Not to any decent lions, anyway. We're natural enemies." She paused, and something seemed to come over her. "Actually, there was one hyena…" She shook her head. "Never mind. It's not important."

Sadiku's ears flattened at the denial of information. "But I want to know."

"No," Vitani said firmly. "I don't feel like it." With that, she picked up her mouse by the tail and stalked off.

Tendaji gently nudged his friend. "Come on," he said softly. "Let's go eat."

Sadiku hesitated before following the other cubs to the clearing. It did not good worrying about hyenas. Surely, they were gone now. Why should he care about them?


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

As the weeks rolled by, the Pridelands adapted to their new queen. Kiara was a bit nervous and frantic at first, but she was finally settling into her new role. If Vitani did not know any better, she would say Kiara actually enjoyed being queen. Kovu was certainly happy. Vitani was glad they had found each other. Perhaps happy endings were real after all.

She had enough to keep her busy herself since she had been put in charge of caring for Kamili. She had not been exactly sure what she was supposed to do; she did not know how to be a mother. It turned out she did not need to do much. The cub was always out playing with Sadiku. Vitani just had to give her baths and keep her warm throughout the night. She was growing more comfortable with this situation as well.

Sometimes, Kamili would rattle off about her past and the Rushlands. At first, Vitani had found it annoying, but now she was irritated that there was nothing she could do to help the situation. Why couldn't Kiara send out scouts to survey the situation? The pride was certainly doing well enough now. Vitani made a note to herself to bring it up the next time she saw the queen.

It was another sunny day, and Vitani needed to get out on her own. She had been absentmindedly padding through the Pridelands when she noticed that she was nearing the Outlands. She stopped short, raising her paw and blinking twice. At this part of the border, there was still the old tree log providing a bridge across the river.

She hesitated. Did she really want to cross? She was a Pridelander now; there was no reason to visit the Outlands. Still, this was part of her past and who she was. She had been feeling lost lately, so perhaps this would help put her life in perspective.

She placed a tentative paw on the log. Then, taking a deep breath, she crossed onto the other side. Once she was on land again, she stopped and gazed across the land. Everything was just as she remembered it. She slowly padded forward. She visited everything she remembered: the den, her favorite play spots, the elephant graveyard…

She looked up at the giant elephant skull, wondering why she had ever had an attraction to it. This was not where she belonged, was it? The last time she had been here was with her brother Nuka…

She shook the thoughts away. She could not think about him now. She forced herself to walk forward into the dark cave.

There still did not seem to be any living creature inside. Vitani stopped in the middle of the den and sat down. Then she lowered her head and let out a heavy sigh, her ears drooping down. What had she expected to find by coming here? This life held nothing for her anymore.

"Vitani?" said a small voice.

Vitani's eyes flew open, and she instinctively leapt to her paws. "Who's there?" She growled. Every muscle in her body was tense; she was ready for a fight.

"M-me," the voice said again. Then, out of the darkness stepped a female hyena. Her fur was lighter than most hyenas' - almost silver, and her eyes were a deep brown. She looked timid and frightened. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Vitani relaxed only a tiny bit. This hyena did not seem threatening, but she could never be too carefully. "Who are you? How do you know my name?"

"Don't you remember me?" the hyena said. "I'm Asante, Kopa's friend."

This caught Vitani off guard. Startled, she stumbled backward and ended up sitting down. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth was hanging open. "_Asante_?" She had not seen hyena since the whole pack of them ran off. And she had not talked to Asante personally since…

"Yes." Asante took a step forward. Her eyes were swimming with an emotion the lioness could not understand. "I was hoping you would come here. Listen, I need your help. My pack has taken over the Rushlands and-"

At this Vitani snapped out of it. "That was your pack?" She eyed the hyena suspiciously. "If you want Kamili back, you can forget. We're keeping her safe."

Asante shook her head. "No, that's not what I meant. I never wanted to attack the Rushlands. It was Kopa's idea."

Vitani's heart nearly stopped upon hearing that name. "Kopa? No…" Her eyes grew wide again, and she slowly backed away. "It can't be. He's dead." She swallowed and found a lump in her throat. It was suddenly hard to breath.

"No, he's not," Asante said. "He was driven out of the Pridelands, but he found a place to hide for the night. The next day, two of my pack mates found him. They recognized him as my friend, so they took him to me. He told us he could never go back to the Pridelands or he would be killed. We were already planning on leaving for new grounds, so I convinced my leader to let him join us. I said he wouldn't be any trouble."

Vitani could hardly believe what she was hearing. All her life she had thought Kopa was dead. She felt numb. "But – what does he have against the Rushlands?"

Asante gazed at her with sad eyes. "We treated him well, but he became resentful that he would never become king. The environment fostered his resentment, and he grew hard. He became so obsessed with power that he was willing to take over a pride to get what he wanted. He rationalized it by saying that the queen was not fit to rule because she's a girl. The hyenas have taken advantage of his desires." She shook her head. "I hardly recognize him anymore. I've tried to talk to him, but he keeps pushing me away." She let out a heavy sigh and gazed at the ground.

A multitude of emotions hit Vitani all at once. She had sometimes imagined that Kopa was still alive, but she had never thought this would be possible. Kopa was warm and kind. This just didn't make any sense. "Kopa would never do anything like that," she said with fear in her voice. "That's not who he is.

Asante lifted her head and looked at her sadly. "I'm sure he never thought you would help chase him out and help your mother plot revenge against Simba and the Pridelands."

Vitani closed her mouth. She looked away in shame.

"You were influenced by your mother, and he was influenced by the worst of the hyenas."

Vitani looked back at her. "But I changed my path! I've made amends."

"He can as well, but he needs help." She placed a paw forward. "Come with me to the Rushlands. He might listen to you."

Vitani sat down and flattened her ears. She should have been excited that Kopa was alive, but now all she felt was guilt and despair. "If he won't listen to you, he won't listen to me. I betrayed him. He probably forgot about me a long time ago."

"Can you try?" Asante pressed. "I don't know who else to turn to. You said you know Kamili. Maybe she knows something about the Rushlands that can help us."

Vitani lifted her head up. "That might not be a bad idea. I want to find out more."

A slight smile crossed Asante's face. "Good. Go do that. Whenever you're ready to leave, come back here. I'll be waiting."

Vitani nodded but did not say anything. She was not sure how to say goodbye, so she simply turned and padded out of the cave. Her mind was swarming with thoughts. Kopa was alive! But… he had been corrupted. Was there really anything she could do to help?

Vitani sulked all the way back to the Pridelands. Kamili… She had to find Kamili. But where would she find the young cub? She decided the best course of action was to return to Pride Rock and wait for her there. She ignored the other lionesses as she neared the giant rock. She found a spot where she could look out at the horizon and laid to down to wait.

Vitani dozed off once or twice, but she finally saw Kamili and Sadiku padding back to Pride Rock. The cubs were headed right for her.

"Hi, Aunt Vitani," Sadiku said.

"Hello, Sadiku," Vitani said. Then she glanced at the female. "I need to talk to Kamili."

Kamili blinked. "Me?"

"Why?" Sadiku asked curiously.

Vitani glanced at him. "That's not your business." She looked back at Kamili. "In private, please. It's important."

"Alright," Kamili said with a shrug. She smiled at her new friend. "I'll talk to you later, Sadiku." She turned to follow Vitani.

"See ya!" Sadiku called.

Vitani led the cub over to the clearing where they could talk without anyone listening in. Once she was sure they were alone, Vitani turned to face Kamili and began. "The lion who led the hyenas to take over your pride, his name is Kopa, isn't it?"

Surprise flashed across Kamili's face. "Yes, that's it! How did you know?"

Vitani hesitated before answering, "I just talked to one of the hyenas. She is a good hyena and did not approve of the attack. Kopa was her friend… and mine."

Kamili's eyes turned wide. "He was your _friend_? Why would you be friends with someone like that?"

Vitani flicked her ears in irritation. "He was not always like that. He was driven out of the Pridelands when he was a cub. He had a hard life after that. I suspect this is his way of making up for it."

Kamili frowned. She appeared to be thinking hard about something. "He was a Pridelander?"

Vitani looked over the cub's face, trying to decide how much she should trust her. She definitely did not want to tell her that her family was responsible for getting rid of Kopa! "Not just any Pridelander… He was King Simba's son… Kiara's older brother… The prince and future king. Until he was driven off."

Kamili let out a gasp. "He was the _prince_?! No wonder he feels he has a right to be king. Why was he driven off? Has the threat passed?"

Vitani hesitated before nodding. "Yes, it has. Everyone thinks he's dead. They would all be relieved to know the truth."

Kamili's eyes were suddenly bright. "Then let's tell him he's welcome back! Then he can leave the Rushlands and be a Pridelander like he was supposed to!"

Vitani frowned down at her. Why did cubs think everything was so simple? "I don't think it will be that easy. He may not even _want_ to come back."

"Can't we try?" Kamili pleaded. "I'll take you to him and you can talk to him. Please? This may be the only way to save my pride and… I don't know what else to do." She suddenly looked so sad and pathetic that Vitani could not help but give in.

"Fine," the lioness said grudgingly. "We'll leave tomorrow morning. But don't tell anyone where we're going!"

Kamili's face broke out into a huge grin, and she jumped to her feet in excitement. "No problem!"


End file.
